About Me

Since graduating from NYU Law School, I have devoted virtually my entire legal career to the practice of family law – always advocating for practical, reasonable and economical resolutions. As a long-time partner in a highly-regarded firm, I negotiated and litigated many hundreds of cases with all of the premier family law practitioners in the New York area. I tried dozens of cases and argued numerous appeals, acquiring an intimate knowledge of the legal system. In 1985 I was elected a Fellow of the selective American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and am listed annually among the “New York-Metro’s Super Lawyers®.”

After decades of practice I became convinced that there were better alternatives for resolving the issues surrounding a divorce. Being settlement-minded by nature and having long been successful at devising constructive solutions to those issues, I trained in the areas of mediation and collaborative law. Read more about collaborative law. I became a member of the Family and Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York, and for years was active in the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals.

In 2006, I became of counsel to Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, LLP, a boutique matrimonial firm which is listed annually among the Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News. Although I continue to litigate when necessary, I much prefer to help clients achieve fair, timely, economical settlements through out-of-court resolutions, and to avoid the rancor, emotional debilitation and economic waste that too often accompanies the end of a once-loving relationship.

“You made these chapters in my life much easier to endure, and I struggle to find the right words to thank you properly.”D.Z.